A Vicious Cycle
by Drops of Azure
Summary: It began with distrust - it grew into something bigger. And whatever she did, it only kept on destroying the few remaining shreds of her reputation. It was a cycle; a vicious cycle. [Shiki x OC]


**A/N:** Greetings mortals! /shot

Thank you for showing enough interest in the story thus far. Although there's an OC in it, I can promise it won't be too centered on her; nor will there be gushy romance that hurts your (and everyone presumably)'s eyes. It's closer to the manga than the anime universe in my opinion. Note, Yuki still doesn't know about the fact that she's a pureblood, and things are still normal. This is AU in the sense that events in the manga and anime haven't happened yet. Now without further ado, enjoy the story.

Meh, formal language. Just go an' read it. xD

Thanks to the wonderful **ihaterainbows72** for beta-ing this piece of work for me~

**Disclaimer:** Does it look like I own Vampire Knight? Ha, I wish. I only own my original character(s) and the plot.

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It had started out innocently enough. Yet as she discovered, things could go wrong in the flash of an eye.

She could smell it; the intoxicating scent of the precious crimson fluid - the sustainer of life - fresh and heavy in the air. The Day Class girl, so (incredibly and) foolishly ignorant. The human was still staring at her uncomprehendingly, questioning as to why she was frozen; why she was so still.

Like a mouse asking a famished cat what the matter was. She bit back a snort, biting down on her tongue to somehow keep the burning in her throat at bay - without success. It was a constant throbbing pain, as if air were being deprived from her lungs, as if her throat was on fire. As surely as humans needed oxygen, she _needed_ this. What was wrong? _You're what's wrong._

"Chiyoko-san - er, I mean Konae-san. I'm sorry to bother you but do you know where your classmates are? And, uh, you look awfully pale-" And just as she was about to grind out an answer, the girl hastily added, "-than usual. Are you sure you're alright? Should I alert the headmaster, or um, get anyone...?"

"No need," she replied, hoping her voice sounded light and cheerful. It didn't work, instead it came out as a desolate whisper. If she would just leave; the blood pouring in steady rivulets out of the human's leg certainly didn't help. Where were the Guardians when you needed them? "You shouldn't be here in the first place you know. You should go back and get that leg checked before it gets infected... or worse."

She let the sentence trail off ominously, and licked her lips as she watched another drop of blood paints itself onto the other girl's leg, creating a separate line and enlarging the sea of brilliant, scarlet red. "Ah, but I need to see Idol really really quickly. Um, before..."_ Before Kiryu and Cross come_, she thought ruefully, yet her mind was elsewhere. Blood drops and raindrops really weren't all that different; save for the fact that one was tastier than the other, she decided, watching intently as red started to taint the edge of her vision.

_Drip. Drop_. Red splattered onto the ground, staining and tainting the land.

"He's not available right now, I'm so sorry." She shrugged apologetically, making sure to keep up the pleasant smile. _No need to scare the prey away_ - all thoughts of possibly saving the human flew out the window as the blood permeated the atmosphere. She was surprised no one else had picked up the scent yet; or at least bothered to follow it. At least the girl's precious 'Idol-senpai' should have picked up on it by then. "Do you need anything else? Or are you finished?"

Disappointment and confusion was etched clearly on the fool's face. "Um. Maybe tell him I was looking for him? And, uh, are your eyes okay?" Chiyoko started. "But… yeah. Thank you, and sorry for bothering, um, you." The Day Class girl turned, shifting so that a fresh wave of the smell was thrown in her face even more strongly than before.

She snapped - and threw caution to the wind. Chiyoko lunged, grabbing the girl's shoulders lightly - it wouldn't take much to break them - and pressed her lips against the side of her throat; akin to a lover's feather light kiss - yet she doubted the human was even registering the emotions or sensations in her shock and stupor. The human didn't even get a chance to gasp. Her mouth was open and gaping, reminiscent of a fish out of water. And an ugly one at that.

"I - ah!"

Chiyoko clamped a hand over the girl's mouth hastily - if someone came across her now, it would certainly be troublesome. And for the feast - it had been so long since she'd had actual blood; so long since she'd had to sate her hunger on the cursed tablets. The flavours of the pill tasted so... off; only a faint, artificial savour against the real thing's tang and spice. She licked her lips, allowing the tips of her fangs to scrape against the delicate skin of the exposed throat -

- And was promptly thrown back by a hand into a tree trunk none too gently. Her head hit the back of the wood, darkening her vision for a few precious seconds as she felt two presences arrive.

She gasped for her breath, wheezing as the air rushed back into her lungs. Despite everything, the impact was harder than she would've expected from an attack; not to mention the residual numbness that buzzed and lingered in her chest. Electricity, she realized, as she picked herself up gingerly, and found a furious Rima Toya accompanied by an exasperated Senri Shiki.

The amber-haired vampire knelt by the side of the shell shocked girl - who took a final look around, muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "Black winged leeches," and utterly collapsed; eyes rolling up into her head. The waves of fury radiating off of the female model was tangible; Chiyoko fought back the urge to back away. A furious Rima was never a good thing - yet, she supposed she was lucky. A furious Kaname was worse.

"What could have driven you to attack a human when you took your blood tablet just a day ago?" Rima asked, lips curled and nearly hissing. "What happened to self control? You better have an explanation, Konae!"

Chiyoko took another deep breath, willing herself to calm down - by then, her eyes should have returned to their normal hue; a green-grey. She couldn't show anything to Rima yet - nor did she wish to. "Are you telling me you could've done better if you encountered a human with blood pouring in a waterfall down her leg? Besides, she shouldn't even be here."

Rima turned flashing blue eyes on her. "You _attacked_ her! You should have went to Kaname when you found her. Or Ichijo at least!"

"Have you been in my shoes?" She bristled. "I wasn't trying to hurt her. Next time you can stay by the side of a bleeding Day Class girl dead set on making you lead her to Aido."

A sigh. Rima sniffed and twisted around so that she had a hand on the human's forehead; seconds later, Chiyoko could see the telltale sign of purple, erasing the girl's memory. She bit her lip - now that Rima mentioned Kaname, she wasn't looking forward to the explanation at all. No, it wasn't much of an explanation; more of butchering the little hope he had in her human side by now.

Shiki seemed to be on the same trail of thought as her. The male spoke up, making Chiyoko whirl; it was rare that he actually found something worthy of sharing. "Second attack in three weeks?" He tilted his head quizzically.

Her heart plummeted not from Rima's fury, but rather the male's blunt truth. With her eyes trained on her feet - she was barefeet, she belatedly realized - she practically wilted against the body of the sturdy oak; ancient and proud and erect. Unlike her.

"I - I didn't mean to. It was an accident," she said, voice abruptly small and halting. She wanted to sink into the ground; the pureblood had specifically instructed her not to betray his trust. And now, just when she was starting to see (maybe it was just her imagination, but maybe not) the tiniest hint of respectful acknowledgement in his eyes, would she lost it again? Was it even there? "Will - will, uh, Kaname know of this?"

The auburn-haired male nodded impassively, without a care in the world. Chiyoko stared at him imploringly; they hadn't gotten off to such a bad start in her few weeks since arriving at the academy. Would speak up for her? Would he help?

Short seconds later, a third presence made itself known. Like the dark of the ethereal moon, the true son of the night, Kaname himself melted out of the shadows without a sound; eyes sweeping over the scene.

His jaw clenched, and as he did so, the hand fisting around her heart reciprocated as well. Red eyes pinned her to the spot; wind rising in the clearing.

"You attacked a human, did you not?" Kaname's voice was nothing like Rima's; half clipped, half soft - and all deadly intent. A whisper of venom. "Is it really that hard? I presented you with two options. Stay in that hell hole of a village, and die hunted, or you could come with me - on the condition you would put the consumption of human blood behind you." He gestured at the downed girl; Rima had finished with her by then. "I gave you a second chance after the first week. It's not been a month - and now?"

He'd moved so quickly Chiyoko couldn't quite placed how and when he'd closed the distance; a hand had been laid over her heart. "I will not let you destroy the name of the Night Class. Tell me, what should I do next? If you were in my place… what would you do?"

His next sentence was the most chilling; the faintest. "Do _you_ think you deserve to live?"

She nodded as she took a shaky breath of air. Her heart was beating away in her ribcage, a terrified bird trying to free itself. She was sure he felt it too.

Purebloods. There was a reason they were feared by so many; there was a reason even the powerful aristocrats had to bow and treat them with utmost respect. She'd never given it a second thought - merely taken it for granted; a custom - until now. "It won't happen again. I promise; it won't Kaname," she whispered slowly.

He wasn't amused. "I asked you a question. Do you think you deserve to live?" the pureblood repeated more forcefully.

She let out the softest breath, letting green eyes flicker up to meet red. "Yes. Yes, I think I do."

"She didn't draw any blood."

She took a sharp breath, not expecting anyone else to be listening. The girl blinked, the surprise gradually overridden by confusion. He was helping. What was he…?

Kaname glanced at her and the male in question quizzically; his hands didn't retract, yet the red glint in his eyes were fading.

"She technically never attacked anyone. With the human's memory erased, there is no harm done."

Chiyoko laced her hands together, all previous courage, conviction, and bravado leaving in a second. Senri Shiki was helping her. The aristocrat who had turned down her plea for help just minutes prior was siding with her. She trained wide eyes on the mahogany haired vampire, yet he stood as what could only be emotionless as ever; at odds against the hope that was fluttering in her chest at the thought that it was two against one. Or two against two, from Rima's distrustful and disapproving glare at Shiki's side.

True - cold, detached, and aloof had all been words she connected with Senri Shiki before. Yet, now, she could still say he was most of those qualities - yet the warmth of the gratitude she felt at the moment was beginning to change her perspective.

Maybe he wasn't all that bad, for all his apathetic attitude.

The pureblood took a slow step back, fingertips reluctantly leaving the cloth of her uniform. "So you think you deserve to live." He tilted his head. "Yet your control is evidently lacking. That won't do."

Just like that, her stomach did a flip, a strange feeling she wasn't used to. Was he going to change his mind again? Fear - it had been such a long time since she'd felt the bone-chilling terror; the uncertainty of whether or not she could wriggle out of the situation. Fight or flight - sadly, it seemed both weren't possible.

"We can't have you wandering around the campus like this again." Kaname turned, eyes locking on Shiki. "Ichijo has been busy lately; would it be too much to ask you to look after the girl?"

Chiyoko blinked uncomprehendingly. Was he suggesting that she should get a babysitter? Did she hear right? Kaname couldn't possibly mean that! She opened her mouth, the ebbing fear momentarily forgotten - he was trying to make a fool out of her. The pureblood beat her to it.

"Step out of line again - let me catch you without him - and you won't get the chance to regret it."

And with that he was gone. She could only let out another shuddering breath as she placed a hand gingerly over her chest. It had been close. Too close. From across the clearing, she found two pairs of eyes; one icy and the other as blank as slate.

Then the two figures turned and faded away as well, leaving her alone as the wind died and silence settled, a cloying blanket suffocating the noise.

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**A/N:** I'm honestly not too sure about this. I'm starting to not like it as much; if you guys find it to your liking, I'll continue it, but if not, I'm going to restart it was a slightly different setting. However, I've decided to post this version first as a test run, you could say.

Reviews would be loved. 3


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